Slow Hands

by Faye Avalon

  She was about to slide into a lusty daydream, imagining the kind of lethal damage he could do to a woman with that muscled strength, those supple fingers, when he pushed the laptop away and sat back in his chair.

  ‘Your disclaimer could do with some fleshing out. Liability insurance? Who are your underwriters?’

  She inhaled deeply, breathed out slowly. ‘I currently don’t have any—insurance or underwriters.’

  That unnerving gaze was back on her, his eyes slightly narrowed with a what-sort-of-idiot-woman-is-this? glint.

  ‘Why the hell not?’

  April refused to react to his implication that she was lacking in the intelligence department. Now wasn’t the time to allow those particular demons to surface.

  ‘The policy renewal got overlooked. I’ve tried to take out insurance to start from now, but since I felt compelled to disclose the threat of potential litigation, nobody will accept me with that hanging over my head.’

  He gave a slow, thoughtful nod. ‘Has Lebeck mentioned a figure?’

  ‘Yes.’ April’s stomach heaved. ‘One million.’

  Logan Fitzpatrick’s face remained impassive for a moment, then he tipped his head back and laughed. A full-out laugh, crinkling his blue eyes and displaying teeth that were a perfect match for the white of his shirt.

  Oh, but he was an attractive specimen of manhood—in a roguish sort of way. She might have put her love-life on hold after the whole Rotten Richard debacle, might have made a promise to herself to focus on building her business instead, but there was absolutely no harm in looking, was there?

  ‘What sort of damage did this thing do?’

  April thought the question was rhetorical until he raised his eyebrows, waiting. ‘Some bruising, apparently. She said it gave her a kind of shock.’

  He reached across his desk towards an ashtray which held a fat cigar. When he stuffed the cigar, unlit, between his teeth, April had the disconcerting impression that he’d done it to stop himself from laughing again.

  Days of worry and pent-up irritation pushed to the fore. ‘Look, I just want to know. Does she have a case?’

  ‘Hard to say,’ he said around the cigar. ‘You said you once worked together. What kind of relationship did you have?’

  April considered her response carefully. There was no point telling him anything that didn’t relate to the case. ‘Let’s just say we weren’t the best of friends. Some minor work-related disagreements, but nothing like this.’

  Hot colour flooded into her cheeks—probably because of the way his teeth clenched around that bloody cigar. It was ridiculously sexy. Which was absurd. She had more to think about than some sexy lawyer who, like all the others she’d approached, obviously had no intention of taking her seriously, let alone helping her.

  He took the cigar from his mouth and placed it back in the ashtray. As he leaned forward the movement highlighted the width of his shoulders, the size of his biceps as they strained against the crisp cotton of his shirt. It made her want to rip that shirt right off his shoulders and check out the view for real.

  ‘Tell me about your set up.’

  Her face, which had lost a little of the heat, started to burn again under his intense scrutiny. She had the disconcerting feeling that this man didn’t miss anything. That he listened, absorbed, dissected, and then either accepted what you said or spit it right out. Straight down the line. No middle way.

  She took a covert deep breath. ‘Like I said, I run an online shop. It’s mostly mail order, but I also party-plan.’

  ‘Party-plan? How does that work?’

  The glint in his eye indicated he already had a pretty good handle on how it worked, but she hiked a shoulder.

  ‘Women get together with a bunch of friends, they order what they want, and I arrange to have their purchases delivered.’

  ‘How do they make their choices?’

  Oh, here we go, she thought. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. She’d handled this sort of smutty inference so many times before, and she’d handle it now.

  Except this time it wasn’t so easy—not with his eyes taking a long, slow perusal of her and making her womanly parts do a happy dance. She squeezed her knees together as the gleam in his eye shot across the desk like an electrical current and arrowed straight to her clit. Heat rose in her body, thick and potent, making her limbs feel heavy, her core muscles tight.

  This reaction to him was ridiculous—especially since he was likely just having his fun before showing her the door.

  She thought about leaving. Simply gathering up her bag, thanking him for his time and leaving with her head held high. Problem was, he was basically her last resort.

  She met his gaze full-on. ‘Website, catalogue and theoretical product demonstration.’

  He nodded, then went back to perusing the screen.

  While he hadn’t been openly derogatory, April didn’t much like his attitude. Although, she had to admit that at least he was listening to her. So far this appointment had lasted longer than any of the others, and the fact he was still checking out her website was surely a good sign. Unless he was just a pervert and was enjoying the models displaying the latest in sexy underwear. They were some of her most visited pages.

  ‘What model of vibrator?’ he asked suddenly, his eyes not leaving the screen. ‘There are dozens listed here.’

  ‘It’s no longer listed. I took it down right after this happened, although I kept a sample.’

  His eyes met hers, held there. ‘I’ll need to see it, check out how it works. Theoretically.’

  She couldn’t tell if he was being deliberately suggestive or if she was just being too sensitive, but he needed to realise that, like him, she wasn’t about to take any crap. ‘I run an online adult store. A legitimate business. If you can’t help me, just say so. But please don’t insult me or my business.’

  His eyebrows rose in sardonic fashion. ‘There’s no insult—to you or your business. I merely need to be in possession of all the facts. If my request to see the vibrator offends your delicate sensibilities, maybe you’re in the wrong business.’

  Arrogant prick.

  But he was right, of course. He did need all the facts. She could have kicked herself for not bringing a sample of the vibrator along, but in her defence she’d thought this would be a quickie appointment that would have her leaving with the sound of his laughter ringing in her ears.

  He unsettled her. Not just his cool and commanding manner, but the fact she hadn’t felt quite so attracted to a man in a long time, and certainly hadn’t indulged in fantasies of the screwing variety for even longer. It was insane.

  Shouldn’t it take more than sinfully handsome features all wrapped up in one sexy and self-assured package to make a woman react the way she was reacting? Shouldn’t it be about trust and respect? But then, in her experience, both of those qualities were in very short supply, so maybe there was something to be said for simple lust.

  ‘I’d be happy to let you have a sample,’ April said, yanking her focus back to the matter in hand. ‘I can get it couriered over to you. Discreet packaging, of course. Wouldn’t want to offend any of your delicate sensibilities.’

  CHAPTER TWO

  TOUCHÉ, LOGAN THOUGHT as she batted his comment back to him.

  He was enjoying himself. There was something about her edgy manner, in the way she sat upright and determined in her functional grey jacket and black skirt, that made him want to push, see how far she’d push back.

  Heat lay beneath the businesslike demeanour. Strength in the warm brown gaze. She was elegant, feminine and classy, but with a fuck you tilt to her pretty chin when she didn’t like the flavour of his questioning.

  Every now and again he caught a flash of thigh as she crossed and uncrossed her legs. A glimpse of cleavage every time she folded her arms. And, while her body was a definite cause for c
elebration, there was no real hardship in meeting her eyes. They were brown, with an intriguing mix of steel and satin glowing in their depths. Like the warmest cognac...soothing and yet with a punch that could momentarily steal a man’s breath away.

  He’d had sex on the brain from the moment April Sinclair had waltzed into his office, which wasn’t really surprising. Self-imposed celibacy could do that to a man. But he’d sailed too close to the wind with his last lover, had allowed their casual liaison to slide dangerously into relationship territory. Her parting words still rang in his ears:

  ‘What are you going to do, Logan? Fuck and then leave every woman you meet because you don’t have the balls for anything bordering on a serious relationship?’

  Yeah, that was pretty much it. Safer that way. Then he wouldn’t have to hear the door slam as they left him. Wouldn’t be forced to watch as they walked out of his life.

  Since April was watching him with an air of expectation, he took a breath and stroked his chin. ‘Never been accused of having “delicate” anything before. Certainly not to the point of worrying about people knowing the contents of my mail.’

  Even her frown was sexy.

  ‘I have to say I don’t think you’re particularly professional in your approach.’

  Logan had to admit she was right. But she was testing his focus. ‘Which shouldn’t bother you any more than it bothers me.’

  ‘It bothers me that you don’t seem to be taking my problem seriously.’

  ‘I take every problem that lands on my desk seriously.’

  She stuck that chin in the air. It was slightly pointed, like a sexy fairy, and went with the rest of her. Sharp cheekbones, pert nose, mouth—and what a mouth it was. All her features came together to form one hell of a package.

  ‘I’ll have it delivered to your office.’

  Logan blinked. He’d lost the gist of the conversation. Too busy deliberating on the very delicious prospect of stripping her out of those conservative clothes and discovering what lay beneath. Sexy underwear? Like the kind he’d seen on her website? Wouldn’t that be a sight? He’d strip her out of that, too. Slowly. Until she was naked, willing and ready for him...

  ‘After you’ve inspected it, can we discuss things further?’

  No, let’s discuss something entirely more gratifying.

  Using what he considered heroic effort, Logan dragged himself back to the business at hand. He really wasn’t behaving much like a professional. Time to rein it all back before he got himself some unwelcome tabloid attention when April Sinclair reported him for being a sleazebag.

  He sucked in a breath. ‘I’ll be straight with you. I’m not your best bet for this.’

  How could he be when Veronica Lebeck was the current lover of the man who was the closest thing to a father Logan had ever had? Okay, Haydon collected women—young ones—like the proverbial sugar daddy, and chances were that Haydon had already moved on to new pastures. But Logan owed the property tycoon. Big-time.

  ‘Not my best bet?’ Panic shot into her eyes. ‘You’re saying you can’t advise me?’

  Without Haydon’s link to Veronica, Logan wondered if he might have represented April. It would have been interesting to see how far he could get with this leggy blonde with her throaty voice and tight-assed attitude. But, taking everything into account, and since he was involved in a case that would require a fair amount of overseas travel and a great deal of media coverage, he couldn’t indulge.

  Briefly, he considered telling her about his conflict of interest, but that panic in her eyes stopped him, pulling at something deep inside him that always sought to protect the vulnerable.

  Not that it applied to her. He sensed a backbone there, and an integrity he had to admire. She hadn’t technically been required to alert potential insurers of a lawsuit that might never happen, especially since it was outside their culpability as a future provider, but he liked that she’d been upfront about it.

  ‘I’m saying I specialise in family law. You need a civil litigator. I can put you in touch with someone.’

  She leaned forward and fixed him with a solid stare, and another fascinating glimpse of cleavage that did something interesting in the vicinity of his loins.

  ‘Look, I just want to know what I might be facing. I’m tired of being dismissed and shoved out the door. I don’t want to have to explain all this to someone else, only to have them pass me on yet again.’

  Her frustration shimmered in the air, and Logan found himself sympathising. He knew what it was to be pushed from pillar to post, to feel as if nobody listened or cared. He’d experienced plenty of that when life had forced him to grow up and take charge. Feeling powerless was no fun, and he’d learned quickly to take control, to protect his brothers and sister and keep them safe after his parents walked out on them. His siblings had trusted him to act in their best interests. They still did. As did his clients.

  ‘Okay.’ The least he could do for April was gather all the facts, then she’d be spared having to explain it all over again when he passed her along to someone else. ‘Where do you get your stock?’

  ‘Mostly I use drop shipping,’ April said. ‘Do you know what that is?’

  He did, but he shook his head as he folded his arms. ‘Explain it to me.’

  The fact was, he liked listening to her. Enjoyed the throaty timbre of her voice. Even more, he liked watching the way her mouth moved around words. The way that narrow upper lip and the fuller lower lip curved around the syllables and sounds. A mouth like that could do sensational damage to a man...

  ‘And, since I have several regular repeat orders,’ she went on, unaware of the fire throbbing in his cock, ‘I rarely have a problem with supply.’

  Logan tried to convince himself that she could be explaining the ordering procedure for tinned peas, but his mind kept straying to the items of her trade, how much he’d like to experiment, how much he’d enjoy using them on her, and his damn cock wouldn’t let up.

  To add insult to injury, blood pounded in his veins, shooting his imagination into overdrive. He pictured her mouth clamped around his erection, her blonde hair flowing over his thighs, her naked body stretched out while he explored every inch of her. Slowly. He’d use his hands, his mouth, his teeth, and he’d have her screaming and begging before he...

  ‘Does all that make sense?’ She sat back, her eyes wide. ‘I’m sure you’ve got questions.’

  Questions? He needed to think of some bloody questions. While she’d been busy outlining her ordering procedure, he’d been busy mind-fucking her. He was a real prince. What the hell had happened to his legendary professionalism? The professionalism that had heads of industry, eminent politicians and A-list celebrities knocking at his door, begging to be his clients.

  He sucked in a breath. ‘Yeah. The vibrator in question,’ he improvised. ‘It was supplied by one of these drop shippers?’

  She frowned. ‘No. Like I explained, they were on special offer from a source I’d never used before.’ She reached into her bag, pulled out a wad of papers and handed them to him. ‘When this blew up, I emailed the company to check if the stock was faulty. They haven’t replied yet.’

  Unlikely they’d reply at all, Logan thought as he flicked through the wad. Bogus companies sprang up all the time, especially online, and at the first sign of trouble they were the devil’s own job to trace.

  Since April seemed like a savvy cookie, he didn’t understand why she’d taken a chance on an unknown and untested source. Nor why she’d allowed her insurance to lapse. There had to be more to it. Was she telling him everything?

  He watched her closely, felt the stir in his blood as she levelled her gaze back at him. ‘If you want my advice, you need to understand that I won’t tolerate any fudging around the facts.’

  She nodded, her shoulders visibly relaxing. ‘No fudging. I’ve given you the facts.’
<
br />   He maintained eye contact, pleased when she didn’t flinch. But there was more here—more to her than she was letting on. The woman intrigued him more with every passing minute.

  ‘Let me take a look at this,’ Logan said, flicking through the file she’d given him. ‘I’ll get back to you.’

  ‘Can you give me your initial thoughts now? Is there a case to answer?’

  Not from what he’d gleaned so far. And from what he knew of Lebeck, she was an opportunist. Likely she’d yield to the prospect of some freebies, or cave to an out-of-court settlement with a token compensation claim. But he couldn’t discount the possibility that she’d go to the press, and they’d have a frigging field day.

  Until he checked out the current status of Veronica’s connection with Haydon he wasn’t going to risk upsetting his mentor and friend by helping April. But in the meantime, there was no harm in gathering those facts, so she wouldn’t need to explain it all over again when he passed her on.

  ‘Like I said, I’ll get back to you.’

  She hesitated, obviously wanting to press him for an answer, then closed her bag and stood. Logan followed her to the door, determined not to check out her ass in the process. He failed. Miserably. She had an exceptional ass.

  At the door, she faced him, making his pulse hammer. He was tempted to hike her into his arms, bring that tempting mouth right up against his and kiss the life out of her. See if she tasted as potent as he imagined she would.

  ‘I know for you this seems small fry and unimportant,’ April said, cutting into his thoughts. ‘But—’

  ‘I never consider the threat of being sued unimportant.’

  Her eyelids fluttered closed over those stunning eyes before he could once again be caught in their cognac depths. He’d need a freaking life jacket if he stared into them too long.

  ‘Thanks for saying that. This thing has me tied up in knots.’

  How he’d love to tie her up in knots. Watch those eyes turn languid and sultry...hear her moan his name as he drove her to the heights of sexual desire.